The New York Mets made a surprising trade on Tuesday, which, while not a major move to bolster the team before the deadline, still raised some eyebrows.
Veteran utility player Rylan Bannon was having an impressive season in Triple-A Syracuse, posting a .254/.392/.475 slash line with a .867 OPS, 15 home runs, 57 RBIs, and seven stolen bases in 79 games. Despite being blocked by Mark Vientos and Jose Iglesias at the major league level, Bannon appeared to be a reliable depth option should injuries arise.
However, the Mets traded Bannon to the Minnesota Twins earlier today, with the return yet to be disclosed. It remains unclear whether the Mets will receive cash or players in exchange from Minnesota.
Bannon’s major league experience is limited to just seven games, spread across stints with the Houston Astros, Baltimore Orioles, and NL East rival Atlanta Braves. He has gone 2-for-20 in those appearances, with both hits recorded with Baltimore in 2022. Despite this limited major league action, Bannon has demonstrated power in the minors since being drafted in the eighth round of the 2017 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Over seven minor league seasons, he has slashed .252/.363/.450 with 105 home runs in 654 games.
This year, Bannon played at various positions for the Syracuse Mets, including the corner outfield spots, second base, third base, and shortstop. With Starling Marte out indefinitely due to a knee injury, Bannon might have had an opportunity to audition for the Mets’ right field position. However, this potential opportunity is now off the table as he has been traded to the Twins.
